Coun. Rick Chiarelli to get quadruple bypass heart surgery

The Ottawa city councillor accused of inappropriate behaviourby more than a dozen women says he needs open heart surgery.

College Coun. Rick Chiarelli's office said Friday in a statement to media he has been admitted to hospital for quadruple bypass surgery, which creates detours around blocked heart arteries using a piece of a blood vessel from elsewhere in the body.

It comes two days after Chiarelli attended the start of the 2020 city budget meeting where he was met withprotests inside and outside council chambers. Heleft before the vote on the full budgetthough he did vote against the transit budget.

"Shortly after leaving the Council meeting Rick was told that he would be admitted to the Ottawa [Hospital]Heart Institute and that surgery would be almost immediate," the statement said.

Thirteen women have now told CBC about inappropriate behaviour and comments by Chiarelli in his office and during job interviews.

Chiarelli has denied all allegations and has said he is challenging the authority of the city's integrity commissioner to investigate them.

Lost council help 2 days ago

Also in Wednesday's meeting, council unanimously approved a motion to relieve neighbouring councillorsScott Moffatt and Allan Hubley of their duties helping College ward residents while their councillor wasaway.

"The last couple of weeks it's become evident to me just through emails and through interactions with his office that Coun. Chiarelli has been working," Moffatt told reporters.

• Protests greet Chiarelli inside, outside council chamber
• ANALYSIS |Councillors taking a stand on Chiarelli, the only way they can

In an unprecedented move, Ottawa city council had unanimously denied Chiarelli's request for a leave of absence in late October, despitedoctor's notes saying he had high blood pressure and suffered a fainting spell about a week earlier.

About a month earlier, council hadgranted asix-month leave of absence to Coun. Diane Deans so she could seek treatment forovarian cancer.

"[Coun. Chiarelli's]recent attendance at Council meetings ran contrary to his preferred approach, and physicians' direction, but was obviously necessary in order to maintain his council seatand his health benefits and insurance coverages," Friday's statement said.

"He will have to do his best and, with the continued help of his excellent staff, as he recovers and becomes progressively stronger, he hopes to do more and more of the work needed in his ward."

Moffatt said council denied Chiarelli's request for leave becausethe information heprovided about his medical situation was incomplete, leaving the exact nature of his health concern unclear.

A letter provided to councildid not mention heart problems, he said.

"We can only make decisions with the information we have in front of us," Moffatttold CBC News. "No one wishes ill will on any of our colleagues, so just be honest with us."

Now that Chiarelliis undergoing a serious medical procedure, Moffatt said council would likely support a leave.

In the meantime, Moffatt's office said his staff would be helping with ward issues.

Mayor Jim Watson said he's abstaining from commenting further on the allegations surrounding Chiarelli until he's in recovery.

"Mayor Watson wishes the councillor a successful operation [and]a speedy recovery," an emailed statement from the mayor's press secretary reads.